Chocolate Espresso Banana Bread
This rich and slightly fudgy banana bread is enhanced with espresso, perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour Plus 1 tbsp for dusting chocolate chips
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp espresso powder
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 pieces eggs (room temp)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream Can substitute with plain yogurt
- 1 cup ripe bananas (mashed) About 2-3 ripe bananas
Chocolate
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips Plus extra for topping
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Plus extra for topping
Toppings
- ¼ banana sliced 2 long thin slices off of a banana
- 1 tsp granulated sugar For dusting the banana slices
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and espresso powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream. Mix until combined.
- Stir in the mashed bananas.
Baking
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Toss the chocolate chips in 1 tablespoon of flour to keep them from sinking, then fold them into the batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Press the thin banana slices on top, sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the loaf, and dust the banana slices with granulated sugar.
- Bake for 50–65 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top browns too fast, tent with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.
- Cool the loaf in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool further before slicing.
Notes
Serve warm or at room temperature. A slice with butter is classic. Pair with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a treat. For best flavor, use very ripe bananas.